Rhinoplasty, or nosejob surgery, is one of the top ten plastic surgery procedures performed around the world. Changing the external shape of the nose has been around for a long time with accounts of the first rhinoplasty being performed a thousand years ago although the popularity of the procedure had its origins much closer today in the first half of the last century. But for many, including some comedians, the name rhinoplasty sounds peculiar….because who wants to look like a rhino or a rhinoceros?
Despite the similarity in the names, rhinoplasty surgery was not in any way named because of the rhinoceros animal. The animal and the surgery share one common denominator….the name rhino which is derived from the Greek word, rhinos, meaning nose. Because the rhinoceras has a horn (Greek derivative of keras) on its nose, the two Greek words combined become rhinoceros, or horned nose. The operation of shaping the nose combines the Greek words, rhinos and plasty (Greek word plassein meaning to shape), to be come a rhinoplasty procedure.
So when you think of rhinoplasty surgery, try to put the image of the long rhinoceros nose out of your mind. Our objectives of rhinoplasty surgery are much more lofty…a nose that does not dominate the face!
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana